Kareena Kapoor strikes you as an actress who truly lives each moment.
That is probably why she feels intensely about each of her films; why she feels every film is the biggest in her career.
Subhash Ghai's Yaadein, Santosh Sivan's Asoka, Kunal Kohli's Mujhse Dosti Karoge, S J Suryah's Khushi, all featured her in the lead. She believed in them with the blind faith of a terrier. But the films failed to click at the box office.
Now, Kareena is back with Sooraj Barjatya's Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, also starring Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan. This film too is very special for her, coming as it does from Rajshri Productions, which has had huge hits like Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hai Koun..!
Kareena tells Chief Correspondent Syed Firdaus Ashraf -- yes, that's right -- "This film is the biggest in my career and I owe my entire career now to Sooraj Barjatyaji."
Tell us about your role in Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon.
It is very special because for the first time I play a complete Hindi film role. This is what the audience wants to see in Hindi films.
Sanjana is the perfect daughter, friend, and wife. She is perfect in every way. She is not the kind who would run to the temple if there is a problem in life. She would rather solve it first and then thank god.
She is a girl of today like me. She knows her mind and knows what she wants. At the same time, she has traditional values. She is a modern desi girl. She is the kind of girl every man would want as his wife.
I don't think audiences have seen such a simple Hindi film in a long time.
How was it working in a Sooraj Barjatya film?
This is the biggest film of my career. Sanjana has become part of my soul today.
Soorajji is someone whom I owe my career to now, irrespective of the fate of the film. Hopefully, the film will do very well.
I thank Soorajji for casting me in this role. Other filmmakers put me in smaller roles -- they were not comfortable giving me meaty roles. But Soorajji had the guts to cast me in such a role. The audience will fall in love with my character because Soorajji has portrayed me so well.
I have worked heart and soul in this film.
How is Sanjana different from Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Khushi of Khushi?
Completely different. You cannot compare Poo with anyone because that was a very different role. Indian audiences had never seen that character before. It also needed a lot of guts to do that role. Clothes became a great thing after Poo.
Khushi was adamant. The media said she was like Kareena Kapoor.
Sanjana is very loveable; every man would want her to be his wife. Yet she is a girl of today.
Is the film set in a college?
It is set in a place called Sundernagar. It is an eventful love story.
Did it remind you of your college days?
I was shooting in Bhuj [Gujarat] for [J P Dutta's] Refugee at 17, so I don't know how or what college days are all about.
Could you tell us something about the songs in the film?
The songs are very different. They are not like the usual Sooraj Barjatya film songs. You'd probably feel kahin ham galat film ki seat par to nahin aagaye [have we come to watch the wrong film?].
I think Anuji [music director Anu Malik] has done a fabulous job. Chali aaye is already a craze. But Kasam ki kasam is my favourite. Papa ki pari is also a very catchy song. It has a lot of energy and youth.
Is this film a copy of Chitchor? [Basu Chatterjee's Chitchor, with Amol Palekar and Zarina Wahab, was produced by Rajshri Productions.]
No, I don't think so. This is Soorajji's idea. The film I am seeing now is completely unique and has never been seen before.
I believe you had to do a fair bit of adventure sports for the film. How was the experience?
Great! Bungee jumping was very scary. But Hrithik [Roshan] helped me a lot and he was very sweet. He helped me through everything.
I told Soorajji I wasn't the kind of girl who would do whatever he wanted. But he was insistent [about the adventure sports]. By the fourth day, I was underwater in Mauritius. Everyone said Kareena had become a water baby. I started enjoying it thoroughly. I now plan to go to Maldives this year and do some water sports.
The parrot and the dog have important roles in the film. Could you elaborate?
The parrot and the dog are my pets in the film. But Soorajji has portrayed them very differently from his other films [the pigeon of Maine Pyar Kiya, the dog in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!].
The parrot will be a riot among audiences -- all he talks is Hindi films.
How was it acting with Hrithik and Abhishek?
This is my fourth film with Hrithik [after Yaadein, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Mujhse Dosti Karoge] and it is my second with Abhishek [after Refugee].
I share a wonderful friendship with Hrithik and our chemistry works great on screen. Both Hrithik and Abhishek were school friends, so we had fun during the entire shoot. The whole atmosphere was young and energetic.
The best thing about Rajshri Productions is that they have so much positive attitude.
Every time I see Soorajji I have tears in my eyes. He is so simple. How can such a man exist on this planet? Soorajji has taught me so much as a person.
